George, Washington

George
City
George, Washington
The Gorge Amphitheatre in George
Location of George, Washington
Coordinates: 47°4′42″N 119°51′26″W / 47.07833°N 119.85722°W / 47.07833; -119.85722Coordinates: 47°4′42″N 119°51′26″W / 47.07833°N 119.85722°W / 47.07833; -119.85722
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Grant
Area[1]
• Total	1.33 sq mi (3.44 km2)
• Land	1.33 sq mi (3.44 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	1,227 ft (374 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	501
• Estimate (2014)[3]	505
• Density	376.7/sq mi (145.4/km2)
Time zone	Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes	98824, 98848
Area code	509
FIPS code	53-26455
GNIS feature ID	1505105[4]
Website	City of George

George is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 501 at the 2010 census. It takes its name from George Washington, and is the only town in the United States to bear the full name of a US President. It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.^[5]

The city is known for being near the Gorge Amphitheatre, sometimes called "The Gorge at George". The Gorge Amphitheatre is the host of the annual Sasquatch! Music Festival.

The city also celebrates national holidays such as the Fourth of July, and Washington's Birthday, with cherry pies. It bakes the world's largest cherry pie every year on July 4, and serves it to the crowd.^[6]

History

George began as a large irrigation district between Quincy and Moses Lake. In the early 1950s, the need for a town to support the local agriculture business was evident, and the Bureau of Land Management agreed to 339 acres (1.37 km²) for this purpose. The winning (and only) bid was that of the local pharmacist, Charlie Brown. Brown invested his own money into the venture, and with help from a University of Washington instructor, the town structure was planned. The plan included streets, utilities, etc.

When filing the papers for the town with the BLM, Brown decided that the town should be named as a respectably humorous salute to the first President of the United States, George Washington.^[7]

Incidentally, the citizens of the town have named their streets after varieties of cherries grown in the area, such as Bing and Royal Anne.

The town was officially incorporated on July 4, 1957 at a ceremony including the governor of Washington.^[7]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.33 square miles (3.44 km²), all of it land.^[1]

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, George has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.^[8]

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 501 people, 131 households, and 109 families residing in the city. The population density was 376.7 inhabitants per square mile (145.4/km²). There were 168 housing units at an average density of 126.3 per square mile (48.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 38.1% White, 1.4% Native American, 59.9% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 75.0% of the population.

There were 131 households of which 60.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 11.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 16.8% were non-families. 8.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.82 and the average family size was 4.14.

The median age in the city was 24.8 years. 35.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 14.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28% were from 25 to 44; 15% were from 45 to 64; and 6.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 54.1% male and 45.9% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 528 people, 141 households, and 106 families residing in the city. The population density was 879.2 people per square mile (339.8/km²). There were 162 housing units at an average density of 269.8 per square mile (104.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.11% White, 0.57% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 16.10% from other races, and 2.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 60.23% of the population.

There were 141 households out of which 49.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.74, and the average family size is 4.39. In the city the age distribution of the population shows 37.7% under the age of 18, 16.5% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 14.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 118.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 140.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,181, and the median income for a family was $23,571. Males had a median income of $21,667 versus $13,875 for females. The per capita income for the city was $7,779. About 33.0% of families and 36.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 46.8% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

• City of George

See also

• Cristóbal, Colón

Municipalities and communities of Grant County, Washington, United States County seat: Ephrata Cities Electric City Ephrata George Grand Coulee Mattawa Moses Lake Quincy Royal City Soap Lake Warden Towns Coulee City Coulee Dam‡ Hartline Krupp Wilson Creek CDPs Banks Lake South Cascade Valley Desert Aire Lakeview Moses Lake North Unincorporated communities Adco Beverly Corfu Mae Ruff Stratford Trinidad Wheeler Winchester Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties